How to Clean Gym Equipment With a Pressure Washer: Cleaning & Disinfecting Made Easy
As a gym owner, you recognize the importance of cleaning gym equipment on a routine basis. This is true of indoor gyms, where gym disinfecting is top of mind. But it’s even more important for outdoor gyms where the elements can slowly deteriorate your equipment over time – rain, dust, salt, and other gifts from mother nature can wreak havoc on your investment.
But – finding a fast, affordable, and most importantly, effective cleaning solution for gym equipment is easier said than done. Fortunately, we’re here to help. In our complete guide on how to clean gym equipment, we’ll walk you through all your options and explain what top use to clean gym equipment.
While we may bury the lead here, using a pressure washer with a quality detergent will prove to be the most effective gym equipment cleaning solution for your business. You can pair this dynamic duo with other cleaning options – like an electrostatic sprayer for gym disinfecting.
We’ll cover all this and more throughout the remainder of this article. First – let’s touch on why cleaning gym equipment is so important in the first place.
The Importance of Cleaning Gym Equipment
Why is routinely cleaning gym equipment so important? If you’re the owner or operator of an indoor fitness facility, you may be thinking to yourself…my exercise equipment can’t possibly get that dirty – can it? Well, it can – and the problem isn’t the dirty and grime you can see with your eyes. It’s what you don’t see.
Clean gym equipment promotes proper hygiene and can help reduce the spread of germs. From your customers to yourself, cleaning gym equipment can have a profoundly positive effect on everyone’s health. Thus, disinfecting gym equipment should be done regularly – especially since the surge of the COVID-19 virus! Clean gym equipment keeps you and your patrons healthy so you can keep your doors open. It may also be necessary for compliance depending on your specific facility.
Beyond health benefits, cleaning can also extend the life of your equipment. By removing dirt, grime, salt, and other damaging elements from your gym equipment regularly can prevent it from corroding or deteriorating prematurely. This is especially important for outdoor facilities where your equipment is constantly exposed to these elements.
Now that you recognize the importance of cleaning gym equipment regularly, the question becomes what to use to clean gym equipment. You have no shortage of options – but some are better than others. Here’s what you need to know…
What to Use to Clean Gym Equipment
So what can you use to clean gym equipment? You can go the manual route – rags, mops, brushes and buckets are all used by gyms to clean their equipment. And while that can be effective if done right, it can also take more time than you’d like. There has to be a better way…right?
Can You Pressure Wash Gym Equipment?
Enter Hotsy – the leading pressure washing store in Texas, and the premier provider of pressure washing cleaning solutions for gym equipment. Our low-powered hot water pressure washers paired with quality detergents can help speed up your cleaning process in a big way.
Not only is this a cost-effective solution, but these machines are ultra-efficient too! Hot water penetrates deep into hard-to-reach areas to remove dirt and grime from your exercise equipment quickly and easily. Plus, their high-pressure can help you reach all the tight corners and crevices that can be difficult to clean manually.
Our hot water commercial pressure washers can be used indoors or outdoors to help you keep your equipment clean year-round. And if your gym is in need of a deep cleaning – Hotsy can also supply you with industrial degreasers for pressure washers, specially formulated for tough jobs such as removing grease and oil from surfaces. We even offer formulations specifically designed for the sanitation of delicate surfaces like your gym equipment.
As for gym disinfecting in particular, we offer a commercial electrostatic sprayer that makes quick work of any size facility. This allows you to easily apply a professional-grade disinfectant directly onto your exercise equipment – saving time and money in the process. We’ll talk more about using these as part of your gym equipment cleaning process shortly.
How to Clean Gym Equipment With a Pressure Washer: Step by Step
Ready to learn how to clean gym equipment with a pressure washer? Below, we’ll discuss choosing the right pressure washing solution for your gym equipment cleaning process. You’ll also learn which soap to pair it with, and how our disinfectant backpack sprayer fits into the process. Then, we’ll talk about other elements that should make up your gym equipment cleaning solution. Let’s not waste any more time!
Choose Your Pressure Washer
Of all the types of pressure washers, we deem the hot water option to be superior for cleaning gym equipment. The reason is hot water agitates tough messes and removes them with ease – without having to use nearly as much pressure washer PSI compared to a cold water pressure washer. This helps you get a fast, effective clean with less risk of damaging your expensive gym equipment.
Now – in terms of gas vs electric pressure washer, you can choose either option – although electric will be fine for most gym owners. You’ll likely have outlets nearby and can rely on extension cords. These are quieter and won’t disturb gym members as you clean in a separate area of the facility.
Of course, you’re probably wondering what pressure washer GPM or PSI is necessary for this type of cleaning. We suggest using a machine with at least 1.8 GPM and 2000-3000 PSI for the best results – but feel free to contact us if you need assistance finding the best commercial pressure washer for your gym’s needs.
Pair it With a Quality Detergent for Faster Cleaning & Disinfecting
To really supercharge your exercise equipment cleaning solution, you need to pair it with the best pressure washer soap. If you’re wondering what soap to use in a pressure washer, we recommend Hotsy’s Ripper I, Breakthrough, or Enviro-Clean.
For gym disinfecting in particular, stick with Vital Oxide – this is a great sanitizing agent. If you’re not quite sure, just reach out – we’ll recommend the best cleaner for gym equipment.
What we don’t recommend is making your own homemade pressure washer detergent. This creates an unnecessary risk that what you’re using could damage your expensive gym equipment. Stick with the best of the best – you’ll be glad you did.
Oh – and don’t forget to grab the right soap tip for pressure washers!
Clean Equipment Outdoors & Let it Dry in the Sun
In terms of actually cleaning exercise equipment with a pressure washer, it’s best to take it outdoors. If your gym is an outdoor facility, even better! This allows you to enjoy peace of mind knowing your pressure washer won’t damage equipment like treadmills or other electrical machines. you also won’t have to stress about damaging windows or glass mirrors.
If you are new to using a pressure washer, we encourage you to read our full guides on how to start a pressure washer along and using a pressure washer. We also have a complete guide on how to use soap with a pressure washer – along with a great resource offering more advanced pressure washing tips and tricks.
Start with a lower pressure setting and work your way up higher if necessary. With the combination of hot water and soap, you’ll find that dirt and grime don’t stand a chance!
After cleaning gym equipment outdoors, make sure the equipment is completely dry before taking it back indoors. Sunlight will help speed up this process. It can also be a great natural disinfectant and can make it easier for you to finish cleaning the gym equipment quickly without having to use any additional cleaning solutions.
If you can’t take your gym equipment outdoors, you can consider using a pressure washer indoors in a well-ventilated area – with all of the proper safety precautions in place. You’ll want to either close the gym down or tape off the area so gym members aren’t in the way or at risk. Similarly, you’ll want to protect sensitive areas like glass mirrors/windows and surfaces you don’t want to get wet – like treadmills, rowing machines, etc.
Gym Disinfecting Made Quick & Easy With Our Electrostatic Sprayer
The most important part of your gym equipment cleaning solution is the disinfecting& sanitation process. So – in order to make gym disinfecting as simple and straightforward as possible, get a commercial electrostatic sprayer.
This will help you keep your gym members safe from unwanted germs, bacteria, and other dangerous contaminants. This is an easy-to-use machine that can cover large areas with minimal effort, allowing you to save time and money while providing a comprehensive clean.
Manually Wipe Down Surfaces as Needed
Finally, you can manually wipe down any surfaces that need extra attention. This can help you get a more thorough clean while also helping to extend the life of your gym equipment. Be sure to use a microfiber cloth as they are best for cleaning and can pick up dust, lint, and other debris without scratching surfaces.
Don’t Forget the Floors!
We know you came here to learn how to clean gym equipment – but the rest of your facility needs cleaning & sanitation too! Your members are constantly rolling around on the floor stretching, doing core workouts, foam rolling, etc. This means there is a constant source of contamination on these floors.
The same is true of the rest of your facility’s features: mirrors, walls, bathrooms, locker rooms, steam rooms – you name it, it’s dirty! If you don’t clean these other areas, cleaning gym equipment is a waste of time – as you’re not fully eliminating the bacteria and grime from your facility.
All of this said, you should factor in how you’ll clean the rest of your facility. A microfiber cloth is best for mirrors in the workout area itself as well as your locker room/bathroom areas.
In terms of the floor, you’ll want to come up with a tailored gym cleaning solution based on the type of floor. If you’re outdoors, you can easily go about pressure washing concrete. You can also learn about pressure washing commercial buildings exterior walls in our blogs.
However, certain types of rubber mats may not stand up to the intensity of a powerful pressure washer. In this case, you can go about cleaning them by hand with a mop. For carpet, use a carpet cleaner. Pretty straightforward stuff – but it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Final Thoughts on How to Clean Gym Equipment With the Power of Pressure Washers
There you have it – how to clean gym equipment quickly and easily with a pressure washer. By following these easy steps, you can effectively clean and disinfect gym equipment quickly using a pressure washer. Not only is it fast and straightforward, but it can help keep your facility safe from unwanted germs and bacteria.
So – head over to our online pressure washing store today – or visit us in San Antonio pressure washing storefronts. If you aren’t sure investing in all your own equipment is the right choice, our commercial pressure washer rental service may be a better option. Let’s get your gym equipment cleaning process underway today!
